Poor maintenance causes problem for commuters

ISLAMABAD - Poor maintenance, lack of interest of the concerned departments and wrangling between civic organisations has rendered a major portion of the Airport Road into a nightmare for drivers plying between the Flying Club and Karal Chowk.

Being one of the main links between the twin cities the road is extensively used by motorists who travel daily to the Capital and to various residential areas along it. Ironically the section is neither owned by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) or the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and both the civic organizations put the onus of maintenance on other.

According to the official record available, the road from Katchery Chowk to Flying Club is in the limits of Chaklala Cantonment Board CCB and beyond falls in the jurisdiction of the CDA. However the CDA claims that the portion lies with the Rawalpindi Development Authority.

A number of accidents have occurred near Falcon Chowk as motorists, who have to turn towards KRL and adjoining areas, try to criss-cross to avoid the dilapidated road and run into fast moving traffic moving towards the Capital city. The area residents and motorists are perplexed that being a VVIP route and a major link between the twin cities, the road has going to dogs due to departmental wrangling. Talking to APP DG RDA said the road was always in the domain of CDA and putting it in Rawalpindi’s limits is a lame excuse by the CDA high-ups. Meanwhile the residents and commuters have demanded of the CCB to undertake filing of potholes in their area to save it from further damage.